Vehicle exterior lighting unit



Dec. 16, 1947. E, BHALLMAN 2,432,754

y VEHICLE` EXTERIOR 'LIGHTING UNIT vFiled Aug; 25, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 'III ec, 16, 1947. E. B. HALLMAN 2,432,754

I f VEHICLE EXTERIOR LIGHTING UNIT Filed Aug. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ema B HnLLmAN Patented Dec. 16, v1947 Erick. Hallman, .Philadelphia Pa., assigner to Electric Service Manufacturing "Company,

Philadelphia, Vania Pal, a

corporation o"f Pennsyl- Application Aug'si mit; siaiiiio. 612,624

This invention relates generallyy to external i-,i

lighting fixtures 'for automotive vehicles and `more particularly to an improved construction of auxiliary dash iloodlighting xture adapted `for use in illuminating not only the front dashof the vehicle, such as a street railway car, bus or the like, but also the ground directly infront and to `eitherside of the dash of thevehicle.`

Among the principal objects of the' present invention is to provide a lamp housing for the lighting fixture which is' completely water-proof and,"

weather-tight and which includes easily'manipulated means for effecting ready removal of the lamp hood for renewal of the lamps and ,forgeneral maintenance and repair'of the fixture."

A further and important object is to provide all novel means for detachably securing the lamp hood to its supporting base, said means being op- 2 over upon themselves, as at I4, to strengthen and rigidfy thesaid plate I3. Overlying the/plate` I3 `lis' "a soft rubber gasket I5 having a marginal flange I6 completely surrounding the perimetral iWedges of the base. This gasket I is'centrally pro- -vided With an integrally formed tubular hub I1 'formed in the plate I3, the electrical conducting wiresVV leading to' thel'amp sockets being projected threugiifihe `here of said hub l1. In addition, uns

gasket member I5 is provided on its outer 'flat "surface with araised rib I9 spacedinwardly from tlie outer edge of the gasket and extending pe'r- `imetfally thereabout to provide a substantially rectangular shouldered seat for reception of V"the hood-assembly II (see Figure 4). "Di'sposedA flatwise against the outer surface of -vthegasket I'5 is' a supporting member 2| for the erative to insure such a tight, water-proof t of f the hood against its supporting base as to eie'ctually seal the interior ofthe fixture against the deleterious effects of inclement weather and the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being unstantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, all asdescribed in detail hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings and as finally pointedout in the appended claim. In the said accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the lighting fixture as constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the base member and lamp reflector assembly, with the hood removed therefrom; f'

derstood that the present invention consists sub` "lamp-reiiector 22 and its associated lamp sockets 2o f 23.v This supporting member 2| essentially consists of a flat plate of generally rectangular form,

the opposite longitudinal edges of whichare respectively inturned to provide a pair of flanges 24 andf`25 (see Figure 4), these flanges 24 and 25 ,being each provided with a pair nf longitudinally spaced depressions 26-26. It will be noted that `these depressions 26-26 are each provided with inclinedsurfaces 21 in the portions thereof irn- `mediately adjacent the plate 2l for a purpose which-will be observed hereinafter. Also, it will be noted that the side flanges 24 and 25 of the Asupporting member 2| are each provided with *inturned `flanges 28, which rests iiatwiseagainst the outer surface of the gasket I5. The supportfing member 2| is secured in its position shown in *Figure 4bymeans of a pair of screws 29;29

' `(see Figure 6), which project through apertures l suitablyprovided therefor in the main plate 2l of Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view ofjthe complete fixture as taken along a linecorresponding to line 4-4 of Figure 3; f

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view 0f the base said'supporting member for threaded engagement-with the base plate I3, the gasket I5 being provided with apertures to permit the free pro- -VVjectlon of the screws 29-29 therethrough.` These screws '29--29 thus serve to secure the base plate J3-wand the supporting member 2| together with Figure 6 is a longitudinalsectional View of the'` base and lamp reflector assembly as taken along the line G+S of Figure 5; and

Figure '1 is a sectional view of said assembly as taken along the line 1 1 of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings and more par-A Lthe gasket I5 interposed therebetween.

The reflector 22 forming part of the base assembly is readily secured to the supporting memberl2| in any suitable manner. It will be noted that this reflector member 22 is in the form of a simple sheet metal stamping having a flat supportingportion 3Il and a reflector portion 3| of the arcuate shape shown in the drawing. Prefsecured together inthe manner and by the means hereinafter to be described to provide a hermetically sealed housing for the lamps I2,

The base .assembly- I includes a substantially flat base plate I3 of generally rectangular form,

the longitudinal side edges of which are foldedl" Ye`rably, support 2| for the reflector is provided witha series of longitudinally spaced, raised, knob-like `projections 32 which are spot welded to the flat portion 3|l of the reiiector, while the .i lamp .sockets 23 are rigidly and permanently seicured in any suitable manner to the reflector, preferably as byspinning the flange elements 33 lof thesockets '23 against the body of the reflector f22i..l1n,the unit as shown, the reflector is `pro- 3 vided with three lamp sockets Vlongitudinally spaced apart, as shown, these lamp 'sockets being each projected through suitable apertures formed in the reflector with the flange elementsv 33 of the sockets spun over the edges ,of the apertures, as shown most clearly in Figure 4. The reeflector 22, its support 2I, the gasket I5 and the base plate I3 thus constitute a unitary base Vassembly for the lighting xture, which is adapted to be mounted upon the front dash of the vehicle by means of four bolts 34-34 which are veach carried by sheet metal elements 35 permanently secured, as by welding to the rear face of the base plate I3. These elements 35 are of wing-like :form and may be adjusted toward or away from 'the .base plate I3 of the base assembly as the 'surface contour of the mounting surface may rrequire, thereby insuring a proper fit of the lighting unit against the front dash surface of the vehicle. The perimetral flanges I6 of the gasket constitute a resilient cushion between the dash and the lighting fixture and serve to absorb vibrations ,and shocks which might tend t adversely aiect the operating life and efficiency of the unit.

The hood assembly II essentially consists of a :sheet metal casting 36 of a shape and form best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. This casting .36 is Aprovided with substantially flat top wall 31 inclined downwardly and forwardly with respect to the vertical plane of the gasket I5. This top wall terminates along its front edge in a rounded portion 38 and at its opposite side ends -inrounded portions 39-39 which are joined together by a bottom member 48 formed as an integral part :of the .-hood casing. This -bottom member 40 is, however, of considerable radius width as compared with the overall Width of the hood so as to provide an elongated opening 4I in the frontal .bottom part ofthe hood, as appears most clearly :in Figure 4. This bottom opening is extended rearwardly on either side of the hood to provide lateral side extensions 42 of the opening, the opening being tted With an enclosure glass 43 of a shape suitably complementary to that of 'the hood opening 4I. The rear edge 44 of the glass enclosure rests upon the .bottom member 4.0 fof the hood casting 36, while the upper edge -portion 45 of the enclosure rests against `that portionof the hood casting 36 which defines the upper marginal `edge of the window opening 4I. The glass enclosure is secured rigidly in position by means of a clamping plate 46, which is suitably secured by screws or the like (not shown) tothe bottom member 40 of the hood casting 36.

The yrear perimetral edges of the hood casting 36 -are disposed in a vertical plane andare adapted to be singularly seated against the shoulder seat 20' formed externally of the rib I9 in the gasket I5. In order to secure the hood assembly Yto Athe base assembly, the hood casting 36 is provided in its top portion 31 with a pair of spaced internal projections 4'I adapted respectively for seating engagement within the'spaced .curing screws 48 similarly engage the inclined portions 21 of the bottom depressions 26-26. In consequence of this, it will be apparent that upon tightening the screws 48 the internal pro- .jections 4'I and the said screws 48 will so act in conjunction with the inclined surfaces which they respectively engage to cam the hood assembly into such close and secure engagement with the gasket I5 as to effect a hermetic seal therebetween, thereby rendering the interior of the .housing completely weather tight and waterproof.

vWhen the lighting unit of the present invention is properly mounted upon the front dash of the vehicle, the light rays emanating from the several lamps Will be directed through the glass enclosure 43 in a direction generally downwardly and forwardly of the vehicle, as well as downwardly and laterally to either side thereof. The lighting fixture of the present invention is thereby iof ldistinct help at night to distinguish the vehicle from various other vehicles, to indicate the Width of the vehicle and to light that portion of the street or platform where passengers may .stand prior to boarding the car.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications which may be made from time to time Without departing from the real spirit or principles thereof, and it is accordingly intended to claim same broadly, as well as specifically, as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

A vehicle front dash lighting unit comprising, in combination, a rigid substantially rectangular mounting for a lamp socket and reflector assembly, said mounting having anges extending rearwardly from its top and bottom edges, a resilient pad disposed atwise against the rear edges of said mounting flanges, said pad having a marginal portion extending freely beyond the perimetral edge of said mounting and said marginal portion of said pad being provided with a perimetrally continuous rearwardly extending resilient flange, a housing for said lamp socket and reflector assembly adapted to be tted over said mounting with its rear edges in engagement with said freely extending marginal portion of the pad, coacting camming elements respectively provided in said mounting and housing operative to force the rear .edges oi the latter into closely tting engagement with said pad to provide a hermetically sealed enclosure for said lamp socket and reflector assembly, and means disposed interiorly of the flanged portion of the pad for securing the unit against a fixed support with the flanged portion of the pad in engagement with 4the surface of said support, said anged portion of the pad thereby constituting a resilient cushion between the unit and the surface against which it is secured.

ERIC B. HALLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The Yfollowing references are of record in the .file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS .Number .Name Date 2,099,444 Langdon Nov. 16, 1937 2,296,151 Dover 1 Sept, 15, 1942 1,709,213 Grifth et al Apr. 16, 1929 1,695,478 Albright Dec. 18, 1928 2,352,864 Schepmoes July 4, 1944 

